WEBVTT ERIN: STATE OF ADDICTIONCOVERAGE NOW.THE CDC SAYS THERE HAS BEEN ANOVERALL DECLINE IN THE AMOUNT OFOPIOIDS PRESCRIBED IN THE U.S.,BUT THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS.THE BAD NEWS, AND THERE ARESTILL TOO MANY PRESCRIPTIONS.ACTION NEWS REPORTER JENNIFERDAVIS WITH DETAILS FROMWASHINGTON.REPORTER: NEW DATA FROM THE CDCSAYS OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONSTRIPLED BETWEEN 1999 AND 2015, AND THE PROBLEM IS WORSE INSOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THANOTHERS.THE CDC SAYS DATA FROM 2015SHOWS EVERY STATE HAS COUNTIESWITH HIGHER OPIOID PRESCRIBILEVELS THAN OTHERS, IN SOMECASES THOSE LEVELS ARE 6 TIMESHIGHER.THESE COUNTIES ALSO TEND TO HAVEHIGHER PERCENTAGES OF WHITERESIDENTS, MORE DENTISTS ANDPRIMARY CARE DOCTORS, MOREPEOPLE WHO ARE UNINSURED ORUNEMPLOYED AND MORE PEOPLE WITHDIABETES, ARTHRITIS ORDISABILITY.THE CDC'S ACTING DIRECTOR SAYSPEOPLE ARE GETTING DIFFERENTCARE DEPENDING ON WHERE THEYLIVE, BUT THIS REMAINS ANATIONWIDE EPIDEMIC.>> WITH OPIOID MEDICATIONS,WE'RE STILL SEEING TOO MANY,GETTING TOO MUCH FOR TOO LONG.THE AMOUNT OF OPIOIDS PRESCRIBEDIN 2015 WAS ENOUGH FOR EVERYAMERICAN TO BE MEDICATED AROUNDTHE CLOCK FOR THREE WEEKS. REPORTER: THE CDC SAYSHEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED TO BELOOKING AT PAIN RELIEVINGMEDICINES WITH FEWER SIDEEFFECTS AND OTHER OPTIONS, LIKEPHYSICAL THERAPY, EXERCISE, ANDCOGNITIVE BEHAVORIAL THERAPY.IN WASHINGTON, I'M JENNIFERDAVIS.ERIN: ONE YEAR AFTER THIS DATAWAS COLLECTED IN 2015, THE CDCISSUED GUIDELINES FORPRESCRIBING OPIOIDS FOR CHRONICPAIN.THEY SAY FUTURE STUDIES WILL SEE

President Donald Trump’s opioid commission approved a report Monday that gives several recommendations for how to address a deadly epidemic.

The "first and most urgent recommendation" is to declare a national emergency, which would force Congress to focus on funding and empowering the executive branch in the national crisis, according to the report.

Advertisement

Related Content

“Americans consume more opioids than any other country in the world,” the report said. “(In) 2015, the amount of opioids prescribed in the U.S. was enough for every American to be medicated around the clock for three weeks."

Drug overdoses now kill more people than gun homicides and car crashes combined, the report said.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who leads the commission, said on Monday that the interim report is meant to give the president some immediate steps to ensure the U.S. stops the deaths that are happening.